(Ottawa) A “young individual” was arrested and subsequently charged with terrorism-related offenses in Ottawa, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said Saturday. This person would have targeted Jewish people directly or indirectly.
Published yesterday at 7:21 p.m.
According to the RCMP, the suspect was charged with aiding and abetting terrorist activity by passing on instructional documents regarding an explosive substance.
A second charge was also made, namely “knowingly, directly or indirectly, directing a person to engage in terrorist activities against Jewish persons.”
The RCMP has not released information about the arrested person's identity due to his age. The exact incident with which this person was accused was also not disclosed.
The investigation, which culminated in Friday's arrest, mobilized multiple police forces as well as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
“Hate has no place in Canada. “I would like to thank the RCMP, CSIS and all partners involved for their efforts,” responded Federal Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc on social network X.
Across the country, there has been a rise in Islamophobic and anti-Semitic hate incidents in the wake of the war between Israel and Hamas, which has claimed thousands of lives in Gaza and Israel.
“The alleged terrorist attack against Jews in Ottawa should make us aware of the terrible rise in anti-Semitism since Hamas's genocidal attack on Israel on October 7,” Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre said on X.
“We must redouble our efforts to protect our communities and defeat anti-Jewish hatred,” he added.
Worrying trend
In a news release, the RCMP said it had arrested five young people for terrorism-related offenses since last June.
It also noted “a worrying trend towards violent extremism and the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes, particularly among young people.”
For this reason, the Federal Police is asking parents and other adults in leadership positions such as teachers or coaches to be vigilant for worrying behaviors that could be linked to violent extremism.
Among these behaviors he includes increasingly exclusive association with new social groups that support violence and the expression of ideas that violence is the only solution to problems.
“Violent extremism, whether religiously, politically or ideologically motivated, continues to pose a significant threat to public safety. Ongoing threats of extremist and terrorist violence must be taken seriously,” the RCMP said.
“If you are concerned that someone is considering, planning or preparing an act of violence or assisting others in committing terrorist attacks, you should first contact your local police station. “The sooner the better,” the police said.